Keel bone extractor for poultry products

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for breaking and extracting the keel bone from various types of dressed poultry carcasses. The apparatus includes an air cylinder having a pressure foot attached to the end of the air cylinder piston rod, and an anvil for supporting a poultry carcass. The anvil has a slot which is to be positioned under the keel bone of the carcass being processed. The pressure foot is used to force the keel bone into the anvil slot and cooperate with the side of the anvil to break the keel bone from the carcass. An extractor cup on the end of the anvil severs the keel bone from the carcass as the carcass is removed from the anvil.

United States Patent Colosky 1 May 30, 1972 54] KEEL BONE EXTRACTOR FOR3,130,445 4/1964 Segur l7/46 POULTRY PRODUCTS v Primary Examiner-LucieH. Laudenslager [72] Inventor: George V. Colosky, Nampa, Idaho ANOmeyJQneS and Lockwood [73] Assignee: Avi-Slmplot, lnc., Nampa, Idaho [57]ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Apr. 7, I970 This disclosure relates to a methodand apparatus for breaking PP 26,378 and extracting the keel bone fromvarious types of dressed poultry carcasses. The apparatus includes anair cylinder hav- [52] U S Cl ing a pressure foot attached to the end ofthe air cylinder [51] In. .0 piston and an any for pp g 2 P y carcass.The [58] Fie'ld l1 1 l 6 46 anvil has a slot which is to be positionedunder the keel bone a of the carcass being processed. The pressure footis used to force the keel bone into the anvil slot and cooperate withthe [56] Reerences Cited side of the anvil to break the keel bone fromthe carcass. An UNITED STATES PATENTS extractor cup on the end of theanvil severs the keel bone from the carcass as the carcass is removedfrom the anvil. 3,541,634 ll/l970 Panek 17/46 3,104,418 9/1963 Segur..l7/ll l Claim,6 Drawing Figures an. as; 90

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sum 20F 2 //v VENTOR GEORGE GOLOSKY gywajgqj OR/VEYS KEEI. BONEEXTRACTOR FOR POULTRY PRODUCTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to a method and apparatus for removing the keel bonefrom a dressed poultry carcass such as a Rock Cornish Hen, chicken andthe like.

In the preparation of poultry products for commercial use, it is nownecessary for the producers or processors to accomplish all of thepreparatory steps for cooking such as removing the head, feet, feathers,and internal organs before wholesaling to retailer or selling toconsumers. Since consumer demand for poultry products which are easierto prepare has increased over the last few decades, it has beennecessary for the poultry preparation and cleaning art to developaccordingly. Therefore, many of the processing operations previouslyperformed by hand have been automated, and a multitude of devices havebeen developed for the purpose of cutting up the fowl, removing feathersor eviscerating the carcass. Until now, one of the most difficult jobswhich has previously been performed by hand is the removal of the keelbone from the carcass of a fowl, and there is no device known in theprior art to perform this processing operation.

Generally, in the past the keel bone was not removed from the carcasswhen the work had to be done by hand because of the difficulty of thejob and the time required. However, there were some exceptions to thisgeneral rule. For example, some of the more elegant restaurants removedthe bones from the carcass prior to cooking the fowl so that the fowlcould be carved more easily. Also, in preparing a small fowl such as aRock Cornish Hen, for baking, it was necessary to remove the keel bonefrom the breast of the fowl so that the fowl could be eaten more easilyand no meat would be wasted. Many processors have found that removingthe keel bone produces a better product, and they have tried to developsome type of device for this purpose since removing the keel bone byhand is a very onerous and time-consuming chore. Another reason fordeveloping a device for removing keel bones was the difficulty theprocessors encounter in finding adequate labor who would accept such ajob at wages low enough to make the operation commercially feasible.Therefore, in order for the process of removing the keel bones to becommercially feasible, a need has existed for an inexpensive and easilyoperable device which can replace the large number of workers whichwould be, generally, necessary to perform keel bone extractingoperations on an economical basis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this inventionto provide a quick and easy method of removing the keel bone fromeatable fowls.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which willquickly and easily remove the keel bone from eatable fowls and which isinexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method andapparatus for performing a keel bone removal operation during theprocessing of poultry products which will reduce the personnel requiredto perform similar operations normally done by hand and which willincrease the unit output volume per worker.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a keel bone removalapparatus which is efficient and which has a relatively low fatiguingeffect on the operator when operated continuously during a workingshift.

These and other objects are accomplished by the present inventionthrough the use of an air cylinder which has a pressure foot attached tothe piston rod of the air cylinder and a preformed anvil which supportsa fowl being processed. The anvil has an aperture or slot therein whichis, generally, the size of the keel bone that is to be extracted. Whenoperating the device, a dressed carcass is placed on the anvil with thekeel bone of the fowl positioned over the aperture in the anvil so thatupon operation of the air cylinder, the pressure foot will engage thecarcass and force the keel bone into the anvil slot. The air cylinderoperates so that pressure is quickly applied and released, emulating apunching motion. This action breaks the keel bone loose from thecarcass. A cup-shaped extractor portion of the anvil which is contiguousto the anvil slot will receive and sever the keel bone from the carcassas the carcass is removed from the anvil. The air cylinder is actuatedby a gas supply which is controlled by an electrically operatedpneumatic control valve that is activated by a switch at the will of theoperator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects,features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment thereof, taken with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a keel bone extracting apparatus according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a keel bone extracting apparatus according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front detail view of a pressure plate according to theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a side detail view of a pressure plate according to theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view of an anvil showing a configurationof the anvil detailing the extractor cup and the anvil slot; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view of a pneumatic control valve showing thepneumatic and electrical-connections.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to thedrawings, in FIG. 1, the numeral 10 illustrates a support frame orbracket made of any suitable material such as a X 2 inches stainlesssteel bar as shown in this preferred embodiment. The support frame I0 isformed in an L-shape having a horizontal leg 12 and a vertical leg 14.The vertical leg 14 is secured in any appropriate manner such as weldingto a foot plate 16, and the foot plate 16 is in turn secured to aworktable 18 so that the horizontal leg 12 is above and parallel to theupper surface of the worktable and extends over the edge of theworktable.

The horizontal leg 12 carries an air cylinder 20 of any suitable typesuch as a Modernair air cylinder with a 1% inch bore and a 3 inch pistonstroke. The air cylinder 20 is secured to the horizontal leg 12 by boltsand nuts 22 and 24, respectively, and an air cylinder plunger or piston26 extends downwardly through a hole 28 in the horizontal leg 12. Theplunger 26, in this preferred embodiment, is threaded at the lower end30 and carries a holding or locking nut 32 and a pressure foot assembly34 which includes a threaded block 36 such as an ordinary nut and apressure foot 38 fixedly secured to the block 36. Preferably, thepressure plate 38 is made of a inch stainless steel plate which issurfaced with a inch rubber coating. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, thepressure plate 38 has a concave lower surface 40 which will conform tothe curvature and shape of the keel bone of the type of fowl beingprocessed.

In order to keep the plunger 26 aligned in a proper position so that thepressure foot assembly will properly engage the keel bone, an L-shapedguide rod 42 (FIG. 2) having a horizontal portion 44 and a verticalportion 46 is provided. The horizontal portion 44 of the guide rod isfixedly secured to the plunger 26 in any suitable manner so that thevertical portion 46 of the rod extends upwardly through a lug 48 whichis secured to the horizontal leg 12 of the support frame. The lug 48permits the vertical leg 46 of the guide rod to move freely therethroughduring the movement of the plunger 26 when the air cylinder 20 isoperated.

In order to permit a variety of types of fowls to be processed, thepressure foot assembly 34 can be removed and replaced with otherassemblies having different configurations corresponding to the type offowl being processed. Proper alignment of the pressure foot assembly 34is accomplished by screwing the pressure foot assembly on the plunger 26until the concave surface of the foot is properly aligned with the fowlskeel bone and until the proper vertical alignment is attained to ensurethat the pressure foot will descend to a proper height. Then, to ensurethe pressure foot is maintained in the proper alignment, the holdingblock 32 is tightened into contact with the threaded block 36 of thepressure foot.

During the operation of the extractor, the pressure foot assembly 34 ismoved downwardly by the air cylinder to a position where it cancooperate with an anvil 50 to break the keel bone of the fowl beingprocessed. In this described embodiment, the anvil is constructed of 1%inch thin wall tubing, although any hollow member can be used. The endof the anvil 52 is secured to the vertical leg 14 of the frame 10. Theanvil 50 is located a predetermined distance below and approximatelyparallel to the horizontal leg 12 so that it extends under the pressurefoot assembly 34 carried by the air cylinder piston 26. The other end ofthe anvil is a cup-shaped extractor 54 that is secured to the elongatedhollow tubing, as shown in FIG. 5. On the upper surface of the anvil 50,directly below the pressure foot 34, there is a passage cutout or slot56 contiguous to the cup-shaped extractor which will permit the pressurefoot 34 to extend into the general confines of the anvil. Shoulders 58are formed by the side edges of the cupshaped extractor 54, and the slot56 is defined by the anvil side edges 60, cup end edge 61 and anvil endedge 62.

The extractor apparatus is very simple to operate, and the process ofremoving the keel bone begins by placing an eviscerated fowl on theanvil in a breast up position so that the anvil extends through thecavity of the bird from an abdominal opening to a neck opening. The keelbone of the fowl is placed over the slot 56. The pressure foot 34 ismoved downwardly and contacts the fowl, exerting pressure on the breastportion and forcing the keel bone into the slot 56. The air cylinder is,generally, operated in such a manner that the pressure exerted on thecarcass is quickly applied and released in a punching motion althoughthis is not always the case. The pressure foot during its downwardmovement cooperates with the anvil side edges 60 to break the ribs andcartilage connected to the keel bone so that the keel bone is pushedinto the slot 56. When the pressure foot is released and the fowl isremoved from the anvi], the end of the keel bone will be caught in theextractor cup 54 so that it will be extracted or stripped from thebreast ofthe carcass with the help of the cup end edge 61 and shoulders58.

in order to break the keel bone away from the carcass, it has been foundthat a punching motion by the plunger of the air cylinder is best;therefore, in the described embodiment, an electrically activatedpneumatic control valve 66 (FIGS. 1 and 6) is used to regulate surges ofgas to and from the air cylinder. Any suitable quick action valve can beused. An example would be a Skinner electric valve rated atapproximately 100 lbs. pressure. The valve 66 is secured to the verticalleg 14 of the frame on the side opposite the anvil by stud bolts 68 andnuts 70, but any appropriate securing means can be used.

A pneumatic supply line (not shown) from a suitable source such as acompressor is connected to the valve at nipple fitting 72 (see FIG. 6).An inlet line 74 provides communication between the valve outlet 76 andan air cylinder inlet 78, and an outlet line 80 provides communicationbetween an air cylinder outlet 82 and the valve return inlet 84. Anexhaust line 86 is provided so that the pressurized gas can be exhaustedat a point away from the apparatus, thus providing the operator with asafer place to work. All of the pneumatic lines are connected to theirrespective inlets and outlets by using any suitable fitting such aselbows 88 and straight swivel fittings 90.

The control valve 66 is activated by an electrical switch 92 which ismounted on the anvil 50 for convenience; however, the switch can bemounted at any location easily accessible to the operator in his nonnalworking position. In this preferred embodiment, a push-button switch isused; however, any suitable activating means such as a push-push ortoggle switch can be used. Since water is used in most processingoperations to keep the carcasses clear, the switch 92 should bewaterproof for safety. The switch can be mounted on the anvil in anysuitable manner, for example, by welding a hollow pipe to the anvil andinserting the switch therein, or by a clamp.

Cable 94 connects the switch 92 to the valve 66 through a junction box96, and a power cable 98 is routed to the valve and switch from a powersource (not shown) through the junction box.

It can be seen from the above description and drawings that thisinvention provides a quick and easy method of removing the keel bonefrom eatable fowls. Also, the device can be operated by a singleindividual, thereby reducing the personnel required for processing whichin turn reduces the labor costs. The apparatus automates an operationwhich was previously accomplished by hand, thereby saving time andincreasing the unit output volume per worker. Another important featureof the device is its simplicity of design, which makes it inexpensive tomanufacture.

The described embodiment can be modified in numerous ways, as will beapparent from the foregoing. For example, it is within the skill of theart to vary the anvil configuration or use a different type of switchingarrangement such as a foot switch. These and other variations andchanges can be made in the invention as above described and illustratedwithout departing from the true spirit and scope thereof as defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for processing a small eviscerated fowl by breaking thekeel bone from the carcass and removing the keel bone from the carcasscavity comprising:

a. a support frame having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg secured tothe upper end of said vertical leg;

b. a pneumatic cylinder having a reciprocating plunger, said cylinderbeing carried on said horizontal leg so that said plunger reciprocatesin a vertical direction;

. a pressure foot carried on said plunger, said pressure foot having aconcave surface conforming generally to the shape of the keel bone ofthe carcass being processed;

d. an anvil for supporting said carcass during processing and strippingsaid keel bone from the carcass as said carcass is removed from saidanvil, said anvil being secured at one end to said vertical leg andbeing located below and parallel to said horizontal leg, the other endof said anvil having spaced, parallel side members which define apassage through said anvil below said reciprocating plunger, said anvilterminating in a cup-shaped portion secured to said side members, saidcup-shaped portion having shoulders which extend above the upper edgesof said side members, said pressure foot on said plunger being adaptedto strike said carcass supported on said anvil and cooperate with theupper edges of said side members to break the ribs and cartilageattached to said keel bone and force said keel bone into said passage assaid pressure foot is momentarily inserted into said passage when saidplunger is reciprocated, said cup-shaped portion of said anvil engagingthe keel bone upon removal of said carcass from said anvil, whereby saidkeel bone is stripped from said carcass and passes through said passagein said anvil;

e. pneumatic control means for operating said pneumatic cylinder so thatthe pressure exerted on said carcass is quickly applied and released;and

f. means for actuating said pneumatic control means.

1. An apparatus for processing a small eviscerated fowl by breaking thekeel bone from the carcass and removing the keel bone from the carcasscavity comprising: a. a support frame having a vertical leg and ahorizontal leg secured to the upper end of said vertical leg; b. apneumatic cylinder having a reciprocating plunger, said cylinder beingcarried on said horizontal leg so that said plunger reciprocates in avertical direction; c. a pressure foot carried on said plunger, saidpressure foot having a concave surface conforming generally to the shapeof the keel bone of the carcass being processed; d. an anvil forsupporting said carcass during processing and stripping said keel bonefrom the carcass as said carcass is removed from said anvil, said anvilbeing secured at one end to said vertical leg and being located belowand parallel to said horizontal leg, the other end of said anvil havingspaced, parallEl side members which define a passage through said anvilbelow said reciprocating plunger, said anvil terminating in a cup-shapedportion secured to said side members, said cupshaped portion havingshoulders which extend above the upper edges of said side members, saidpressure foot on said plunger being adapted to strike said carcasssupported on said anvil and cooperate with the upper edges of said sidemembers to break the ribs and cartilage attached to said keel bone andforce said keel bone into said passage as said pressure foot ismomentarily inserted into said passage when said plunger isreciprocated, said cup-shaped portion of said anvil engaging the keelbone upon removal of said carcass from said anvil, whereby said keelbone is stripped from said carcass and passes through said passage insaid anvil; e. pneumatic control means for operating said pneumaticcylinder so that the pressure exerted on said carcass is quickly appliedand released; and f. means for actuating said pneumatic control means.